DJ Rap

For her major-label debut, DJ Rap chose a surprising angle, given her long history as an excellent drum'n'bass DJ and producer. Learning Curve is a crossover album so complete there's hardly any traces of drum'n'bass left. Instead, most of the album (especially the radically reconfigured American version) is full-fledged '90s dance-pop, closer to Garbage than Grooverider, with the production gloss and sneering vocals to match. What's even more surprising is that, taken for what it is, Learning Curve actually is a solid dance-pop album. Rap's vocals are better than expected, the production is inventive, and while the songs are still quite far from pop, they're much more than dance fodder. It's a radically different move compared to any other jungle artist's major-label debut, but still, it's surprisingly solid given its emphasis on pop. [The British version includes a few more drum'n'bass tracks, including "Beats Like This," "Audio Technica," and a remix of her classic "Spiritual Aura."] ~ John Bush, All Music Guide